Comment

In a new Ministers Reflect interview, Mark Garnier argues that politicians investigated for breaching the Ministerial Code need better legal protection. Daniel Thornton says that whatever the process, the consequences of such investigations should still be decided by the Prime Minister.

A new series of candid interviews with former ministers reveals what today’s cohort could learn about making a success of ministerial office. The most important lessons for getting things done come from Lord Heseltine, argues Tess Kidney Bishop.

New ministers responsible for making infrastructure decisions need to establish realistic and long-term plans that focus on engaging beyond Whitehall. Tess Kidney Bishop says getting this right can make a long-term difference, even if a minister’s tenure is shorter than expected.

Arm’s-length bodies exist to limit the politics in regulation and public services. But Susanna Smith, from the Public Chairs’ Forum (PCF) and Association of Chief Executives (ACE), shows how this can create tension between the people who run these bodies and the people who run the country.

Today the Institute for Government publishes a new Ministers Reflect interview with Lord (Jim) O’Neill. Dr Jo Casebourne looks at what he has to say about his experience as ‘the guy that was driving the Northern Powerhouse’ from his time as Commercial Secretary to the Treasury in 2015-16.

In recent months, tensions between the Government and the judiciary have ramped up on both sides of the pond. Nicola Hughes looks at the relationship between ministers and the legal world, based on our Ministers Reflect interviews.